


Whoever You Become

by Lil_Redhead



Series: Shirbert Oneshot + Drabble Collection [19]
Category: Anne of Green Gables - L. M. Montgomery, Anne with an E (TV)
Genre: Delphine loves her uncle, Drabble, F/M, Gen, Kindred Spirits Secret Santa, and Gilbert's heart melts!!!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-25
Updated: 2019-12-25
Packaged: 2021-02-26 02:29:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,186
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21962137
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lil_Redhead/pseuds/Lil_Redhead
Summary: Delphine doesn’t want to see her favorite uncle leave after his wedding, but Gilbert is quick to ease her mind.
Relationships: Gilbert Blythe & Anne Shirley, Gilbert Blythe & Delphine Lacroix, Gilbert Blythe/Anne Shirley
Series: Shirbert Oneshot + Drabble Collection [19]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1075275
Comments: 33
Kudos: 300





	Whoever You Become

**Author's Note:**

> This is my Kindred Spirits Secret Santa present to plutolittleplanetwithabigheart on tumblr! My dear, I hope you had an excellent holiday. Enjoy this lil bit of sweetness. An illustration will accompany this story soon!

Even in the middle of summer when the hot air made her new dress stick to her legs, Delphine thought Aunt Anne looked like a blizzard. Her tiny legs kicked excitedly as she watched the white fabric of Anne’s dress swirl around her as Uncle Gil twirled his new bride away from him. The effect happened again as Anne spun back toward her new husband, the lace of her dress like ocean waves at her ankles. When the bride rested her head on Uncle Gil’s shoulder, the golden sunlight found her hair in a way that appeared right out of a fairytale. 

Suddenly, Delly felt a stormy cloud sweep over her heart. Once the wedding was over, Uncle Gil would be gone for a month with Aunt Anne for their - her lips twisted as she tries to remember the word - sunnymoon? It was unfair, she decided. If Aunt Anne got to go on a sunnymoon trip with Uncle Gil, why couldn’t she? It wasn’t like she had to go to school, it was the middle of July! 

She glanced at Papa when he took the seat next to her and wiggled her knee. 

“Why the gloomy face?” he asked compassionately. Delphine sighed, a sprig of hair blowing away from her face. Papa  _ always  _ knew when something was wrong. 

“You said that once Uncle Gil’s sunnymoon is over-” 

“Honeymoon, sweetheart.” 

“- Okay, once his  _ honeymoon  _ is over, that Uncle Gil will be moving to live with Saint Mary.” 

Bash chuckled, sparing a smile at Anne and Gil as they took the last steps of their dance. 

“Uncle Gilby is moving with Aunt Anne to live in Glen St. Mary so that he can be a doctor to all the sick people there. It’s the name of a place, though. Saint Mary won’t  _ actually  _ be there.” 

Delly couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed. Papa always said the name Mary with such tenderness and love that she  _ had  _ to be important. Now Uncle Gil wouldn’t even be living with Saint Mary! What was even the point of him moving out, then?

Once the dance was over, Delly watched a crowd of people come around Uncle Gil and her cheeks turned green with envy. It was only a matter of time before Uncle Gil left Avonlea forever, but all these people she didn’t recognize were wasting their valuable time together! She missed the way it had been last fall, when Uncle Gil walked with her through this orchard and picked the sweetest apples he could find to give to her. She ate so many her stomach hurt, but he eased the pain away by rubbing her back with a soft touch. 

Why did he have to go? 

“I want to dance with Uncle Gil, too!” Delly cried. Bash jumped at the declaration, startling as thick tears started to pool in the corner of her lashes.

Not many people heard her outburst, but Anne did. She glanced over her shoulder, away from the genial well wishers she was talking with, and caught Delly’s watery eyes. With an understanding smile, she placed her hand on Gilbert’s shoulder and turned him to face the little girl. Her lip trembled when he scrunched his brows together in confusion. 

Excusing himself, Gilbert crossed the yard, but Delly sprung out of her chair and met him halfway. He scooped her up into his arms and held her tight to him. She buried her face into his shoulder, aware that people were watching her cry. 

“What’s wrong, honeybee?” he asked gently, stroking her soft hair. 

“Do you really have to move so far away?” 

Gilbert pulled Delphine back and waited until she stopped avoiding his eyes before saying, “Sweetheart, Aunt Anne and I are only going to be forty minutes away. We won’t be far away, at all.” 

“Wait, really?” Delly sniffled. Her uncle nodded.

“I know it’s going to be different with me not living at home, but now you can come and explore a brand new house. Aunt Anne picked one with a creek in the backyard.” He held her with one arm, and used his free hand to wipe away the salty tears on her cheeks. “You said wanted to dance?” 

Delly buried her face into his neck. 

“I don’t know how to,” she admitted. A gasp escaped her lips when Uncle Gil dipped her before setting her down. She peered down in confusion when he set her feet directly on top of his. 

“That’s what uncles were made for,” he replied. Her balance was a little unsteady, but Uncle Gil grabbed placed a hand around her back to hold her up, clasping the other one in a princely fashion. Carefully, he began to move his feet under hers to the rhythm of the waltz playing. Astounded at the thrill of flying across the dance space, Delly grinned up at Gilbert. “See, you’re a natural!” 

“Am I really?” 

“Of course!” To prove his point, he took her by the waist and lifted her into the air, spinning her around. Delphine’s laughter filled the air like sweet birdsong, the tears of moments ago completely forgotten.

“Do you think I could be a professional dancer like you?” she asked, her toothy grin melting Gilbert at his core. 

“I’m no professional, but I think you could definitely become the best dancer Avonlea has ever seen,” he answered as the last notes of the song rang out. She stepped off of his shoes, eyes glinting when he kneeled before her. His calloused hand found the side of her soft face with a gentle caress. “Delphine, you can be whatever you want to be, no matter what anyone tells you. And I will be right there beside you, because I love you very much. Remember that.” 

Without warning, Delly threw her arms around Gilbert’s shoulders and squeezed him as tightly as her eight-year-old strength would allow. 

“I love you most,” she swore, pressing a kiss to his cheek. Heart at ease and entirely filled to the brim with love, Delphine peeked over his shoulder and smiled. “Can I dance with Aunt Anne, now? She’s so pretty.” 

“Don’t I know it!” Gilbert agreed. He gave one last kiss on her knuckles before sending her bustling after Anne. 

As Delphine mimicked the dance position he had shown her moments ago, Gilbert couldn’t help but see visions of the life before them. In the years to come, he’d make such a warm home out of House of Dreams that Delphine wouldn’t feel out of place when she visited. She’d play with his children, share their table, and love them with the fury of her passionate heart. She’d grow tall enough to climb his trees and skip rocks in the creek. 

One day, the roles would be reversed, and it would be  _ her  _ wedding day. He would take her in his arms and tell her that he was proud of the woman she became, whoever that was. Until then, he’d cherish these moments of the sweetness of her youth when her eyes were filled with wonderment and her heart was full of dreams. 

**Author's Note:**

> Wanna see what other Christmas presents the fandom created for one another? Head on over to the @kindredspiritssecretsanta blog on tumblr. Or if you just wanna pop by and say hello, I'm @royalcordelia ♥


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